Pan Asian Games

It's well-known that racism pervades the New York Mets under Omar Minaya. The clear preference for Hispanic players has been prevalent throughout his tenure. You want proof? Just look at some of the names of guys he's brought in: Carlos, Luis, Fernando, Fernandez, Martinez, Angel (two of them!), Moises, and Raul.

Gone are players with beautiful names of clearly Western lineage, guys like Billy, Trot, Nick, Casey, and Scott. But let's be serious here. Who cares about the internal machinations of a seemingly rudderless fourth-place team? Much more important is what's been going on with the crosstown Yankees.

No one thinks to take a hard look at them. Fans are too focused on the euphoria of the team ending its long World Series drought. And the media, if they're paying any attention, is too focused on offseason transactions to notice the insidious completion of the cleansing plan that's been going on in the Bronx.

Take a look, and it's apparent the Cashman-Steinbrenner-Levine-Oppenheimer Yankees don't like Asians. The proof is everywhere, and the team clearly has no use for anyone who even remotely has Asian ancestry.

Johnny Damon: He emerged from the womb of a Thai woman and lived in Japan as a child. Technically an American because his father was stationed overseas for the US military, but that's some diluted blood right there. As they say in Thailand, ไม่ ขอบคุณ. Or, as us red-blooded Americans would say, "No, thank you."

Chien-Ming Wang: In all his years as a Yankee, note the team was never willing to negotiate a long-term deal with him. They say he was from Taiwan, but since those Asians all look the same, my money says he's a North Korean spy working under the auspices of the original Dear Leader, Kim Jung-Il. How do I know? Note the weird hyphenation in both of their names. As they say in Korea, 시도는 좋았다. Or, as us Americans who can never be fooled say, "Nice try."

Hideki Matsui: The fact that they wouldn't let him play the field this past year should have been a clue. The fact that they never offered him a contract this winter was another. But the ultimate proof was the World Series MVP. You only award a Japanese guy a Corvette if you think he's worse than a member of the Burakumin class. As they say in Japan, アメリカのハートビート, though I prefer that said with the supple harmony of the American commercial jingle, "The heartbeat of America."

Alfonso Soriano: He played in Japan and, worse, speaks Japanese. Questionable strike zone judgment was just a cover. You trade that type of clubhouse cancer every day of the week and twice on Sundays for a narcissistic PED user who the team captain loathes. More precisely, テキサスでは混乱を行う, aka "Don't mess with Texas."

Darrel Rasner: What do you do with a Caucasian for whom you no longer have any use? Why, ship him to Japan for $1MM. As some Asianophiles like to say, "Sayanora!"

Kim Ng: Left the Yankees for the same position with the Dodgers. Sounds to me like the team did a fine job of creating a hostile work environment for folks of her kind. Yes, she was born in the United States to American parents, but her mother was born in Thailand and both sets of grandparents are Chinese. Bottom line: Like Damon, the hint of an Asian blood thinner in her system is a little too close for comfort. As they say on the Chinese mainland, "罷休." As the young kids loitering at Wal-Mart can be heard to say, "Get out of here."

Kei Igawa: He was never considered for a spot in the rotation, not to mention the fact that he's not even on the 40-man roster. Joba Chamberlain — he's from beautiful Nebraska, you know — had a much-maligned and rocky year as a starter. No problem. Kei Igawa, the all-time AAA wins leader in blue-collar Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, was given just 13 starts in the bigs before being cast as a pariah. 何のおかげで, buddy. Thanks for nothing.

Kanekoa Texeira: He was born in Hawaii, but with a name like that we'll just assume his ancestry comes from some place farther east, especially since the team left him unprotected in this winter's Rule 5 Draft. Who knows what language this freak prefers, but, c'mon, who cares?

Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens: At one point he was touted as a power-hitting corner player. That didn't work out, so now he's a major league coach. In fact, he's the new hitting coach for the Giants. Typically, a player-turned-coach is something the Yankees cultivate as part of its family and tradition mantras. You know, guys like Dave Eiland, Don Mattingly, Ron Guidry, Billy Martin, Yogi Berra, Willie Randolph or Joe Girardi. But when Bam Bam went to Japan for a few seasons in the 90's, that was unforgivably uncool.

Babe Ruth: Following the 1934 season, he went on a barnstorming tour of Japan. He never played another game for the Yankees. Obviously, non-Asian Yankee pride and tradition extends throughout the team's history.

NaOH: I've been to at least five Asian countries, so that explains why Cashman never returns my calls and why all my resume/cover letter submissions come back with this boilerplate response.

Thank you for your interest in working for the New York Yankees Professional Baseball Club. The New York Yankees is an equal opportunity employer regardless of race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, on-the-job injury, sexual orientation, political affiliation or belief. Employment decisions are made without consideration of these or any other factors.

If your background indicates a match with our available openings, we will contact you to discuss your qualifications further.

Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna buy that.

More Retro-Technology Ken

Ken made his third radio appearance of the week this morning, this time with Adam The Bull of WFAN. While the topics were certain to include the Mets and Yankees, the two of them discussed a number of other teams, including the Angels, Phillies, Braves, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Tigers.

Among the big names discussed were Chien-Ming Wang, Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, John Lackey, Carlos Delgado, Benji Molina, Dioner Navarro, Marlon Byrd, Roy Halladay, Milton Bradley, and Garret Atkins. Best of all, Ken has joined us here at KDBO in believing the Pirates "are actually moving in the right direction."

In non-baseball news, Ken admitted he "mailed it in" yesterday. That's Ken's secular way of saying he's been burning the Shamash candle at both ends.

Regarding The Mets

As noted at KDBI this morning, Ken was on ESPN 1050 in New York with Brandon Tierney. In the bizarre world that is NY sports media, the topic of conversation was not the Yankees' flurry of deals, but the Mets' general inactivity thus far.

The first seven minutes of the audio are strictly Tierney discussing the pros and cons of players like Jason Bay. Whether or not you agree with his opinions, the information he details speak to the risks. In the second half of the audio we get Ken's input as the conversation broadens to other big-name players the Mets may consider.

Winter Meetings Midway-Point Update

Were you up early yesterday? Ken was, as he and Drew Forrester of WNST in Baltimore got together for their first baseball chat since speaking in October. Topics include the Yankees, the Granderson deal, the Orioles, big-name free agents, Roy Halladay, and Ken's youth.

Best of all, you know Ken cares about us. See, the Winter Meetings are notoriously busy for those involved, but Ken took time around the 7:20 mark of the interview to give a shout out to our own Richie G.

Don't just skip ahead, though. The whole interview is worth your while.

The RichieG Guest Post

The World Won't End in 2010

By Rich Glanzer

As the Mets decide what to do for 2010, it is important the front office and the team's fans remember this one very significant point: there will be a season in 2011 and beyond, and they will care deeply about each and every year.

The Yankees’ “stupidity” for not trading Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and others for Johan Santana was vilified by some in 2007, but after the 2009 parade down the Canyon of Heroes, few, if any, critics remain upset by the non-trade.

The brilliance of the Yankees the past two off-seasons is that they remained focused on the big picture. The team's front office understood in December of 2007 that there would be a seasons in '08 and beyond, and they used this perspective to guide their decisions. Had they traded their youth that winter for the immediate benefit of Johan Santana, surely the 2008 team would have been significantly better, but the 2009 and beyond teams may well have suffered.

One year later, the Yankees signed CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. It looked like their off-season was complete. But then General Manager Brian Cashman made a significant realization based on his ability and willingness to see beyond the then-current circumstances. The 2009 free agent class was going to be weak and limited. There wasn’t going to be one player who was a true superstar.

Instead of resting contently with the Sabathia and Burnett signings, Cashman convinced ownership to green light the signing of Mark Teixeira. This year, I would bet the Yankees won’t sign any big free agents because they saw the big picture the last two off-seasons, preventing the need for drastic action this year.

That’s why I believe the Mets have to take it on the chin this off-season. Matt Holliday and John Lackey are good ballplayers, no doubt. But I don’t feel they are worth the money they will get this off-season, especially since the limited talent pool will likely increase their price tags.

Holliday may be a great player, perhaps even a superstar, but I’m always concerned about a guy who tore the cover off the ball in Colorado. And while his performance with the Cardinals will help bring him a boatload of money, I’m not willing to simply say his stats with the A’s were due to a small sample size. Don’t get me wrong: his A’s numbers were pretty good, but they weren’t $100 million good. Also, note his home run totals. His career high of 36 was in Colorado back in 2007. Last year he had just 24. I can’t imagine he’d get a significant increase in pitcher-friendly Citi Field.

Now if you could assure me he’d put up the exact same stats the next five years as he did this past season, I’d sign him without hesitation. Call it a gut feeling, but I don’t think he will.

As for Lackey… he’s good. He seems tough, a bulldog, but he also seems like an injury-prone bulldog. Why give $80 million or more to a 31-year-old pitcher who hasn’t thrown 200 innings in a season since 2007? There’s no question that if healthy he’s worth a Burnett-type salary, but I’d be a little too concerned.

How, then, would I approach the free agent market? With free agents, I believe in signing the best. I’d rather pay an extra $20-60 million for a can't-miss, absolute stud than take a chance on someone who has question marks. If you look at next season’s potential free agents, you will find some top-flight pitchers: Roy Halliday, Cliff Lee, Josh Becket, and Brandon Webb. Halliday will probably be signed by a team that trades for him this winter, but the other three have a legitimate shot to be available. Shouldn’t the Mets wait one year and try to sign an elite pitcher like one of them rather than settle for Lackey just because he’s available now?

Webb and Beckett do have some injury concerns, but spending big bucks on them may be a little easier on the stomach during next year's off-season than it would be now. Plus, they have the coming year to demonstrate how healthy they are.

So what would I do if were GM of the Mets this winter? I think 2009 was the Imperfect Storm. Whatever could go wrong did. As bleak as Met fans feel right now, most teams would trade their top five players for the Mets' top five of Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Johan Santana, and Francisco Rodriguez. If they all stay healthy next year, this team will contend. So you can’t just take a wait-for-Lebron New York Knicks-style route.

As for the available free agents, I’d try to overpay for one year of good players rather than get market value for multiple years of merely serviceable ones. And even though this will be an unpopular opinion, I’d sign Orlando Hudson even if I can't unload Luis Castillo. Castillo could become a pretty valuable (albeit expensive) bench player, and Hudson can give this team some added pop, speed, and, yes, grit. From everything I’ve read, Hudson is a guy that busts it on every play. And much like the Yankees benefited from the enthusiasm of guys like Nick Swisher and A.J. Burnett, the Mets could benefit from someone with Hudson’s aggressive style.

Lastly, I would put the money that will be saved by not signing Holliday and Lackey, and put it toward the 2011 season. Because it will come, and when it does, you will care.

About The Author

RichieG (Lynbrook) is known throughout the metro-NY area and beyond for his devotion to hustle, grit, and team chemistry. His efforts to quantify in a non-statistical manner these paranormal intangibles drive his posts at 516ads, KDBI, and here at KDBO. Having spent most of his life as a resident of Long Island, RichieG had brief sojourns to Las Vegas, NV and Utica, NY, but he now continues to call Long Island home.

In his spare time he enjoys poker, take-out from Gino's Pizza in Lynbrook (preferably pizza or baked ziti), sub-cultures, car shopping with his mother, playing hockey, watching the NHL Rangers, drinking beer, driving anywhere but the mountains of the western United States, and cozying up like an 80's rock star with his cat Merlin.

Coming Soon: The RichieG Guest Post

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

What's next for Josh Johnson?

I watched the Marlins' Josh Johnson pitch at Nationals Park on a humid evening in early August.

For seven innings, the dude's performance was nothing short of awesome. Throwing 82 pitches, he struck out nine, walked none, and gave up only three hits. He even hit a home run. Adam Dunn, who struck out three times against Johnson, called his fellow towering monster "in my opinion, the best pitcher in the game."

To be sure, Johnson's performance did not lead to a win for the Fish. Leading 4-0 in the bottom of the eighth, he surrendered three consecutive singles, then a long double, and was removed from the game with his team still ahead by two.

By the time the third out got recorded, however, a Marlins two-run lead had vanished and become a two-run deficit, thanks to a Dunn two-run home run. ("A different pitcher, thank God.")

The no-decision and less than stellar eighth inning notwithstanding, the 25-year-old behemoth made an impression on the small group of spectators who were in attendance that evening.

His overall numbers for 2009 look quite impressive, even by ace standards: an ERA of 3.23, ERA+ of 131, FIP of 3.06, WAR of 5.5, 209 innings, 191 strikeouts, and only 58 walks.

One researcher looked closer and noted:

... Josh was somewhat fortunate in terms of home runs served up (0.6 HR/9, 7.5 HR/FB%), but he was an elite arm regardless. Throwing 209 innings, Johnson had a 3.42 XFIP that ranked 5th among National League starters. His K rate climbed to 8.22 per nine innings, with unusually sharp control for a power arm (2.5 BB/9).

As if the whiff rate and ability to paint the corners weren’t enough, Johnson induced grounders at a career-high 50.3% clip. He jumped ahead of hitters often, with the best first-pitch strike percentage of his big league tenure. Johnson got first-pitch contact or gained the 0-and-1 advantage on the batter 63 percent of the time (58.2% MLB average).

Fast forward to now: I read late last week that contract negotiations between Johnson's agent and the team have reached an impasse:

Johnson and his agents used Zack Greinke's four-year, $38 million contract with the Kansas City Royals as a framework in contract discussions. [Matt] Sosnick said talks broke down when the Marlins declined to offer more than a three-year deal -- which would buy out only one year of free agency for Johnson. Sosnick declined to discuss any differences over money in negotiations.

In short, the Marlins have control over Johnson through the end of 2011 -- Johnson has two salary arbitration years remaining before becoming eligible for free agency. He earned a little over $1.4 million this past season. (FanGraphs estimated his worth at $24.6 million!)

It is important to note that Johnson underwent Tommy John surgery in 2007, missing most of that season and approximately half of 2008. So it cannot be said that there is little downside in giving him four years. And according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the Marlins have never offered a pitcher a multi-year contract.

Still, when comparing Zack Greinke's 2008 numbers with Johson's totals from 2009 -- and factoring in Greinke's prior battles with depression as a counterweight to Johnson's surgery -- one may be hard pressed to argue that a fourth year for Johnson at $9-10 million per season is a risk not worth taking, even for the most frugal of franchises.

Comments?

Retire No. 36!

Does anyone else find it curious that a team that has played 48 big league seasons has retired only one of its players' numbers?

Glance at these statistics and then explain to me why the New York Mets have not retired Jerry Koosman's number. Too tired? OK, then follow along with me.

In 12 seasons in Queens, Koos accomplished the following:

• An ERA of 3.09
• An ERA+ of 113, including a 160 in 1969
• A FIP that was never higher than 3.45*
• A WHIP of 1.22
• A 2.19 strikeout-to-walk ratio
• 1779 strikeouts
• Runner-up to the Cy Young Award in 1976

* The 5.85 FIP in his rookie season in 1967 was based on nine games, three of which were starts.

Compare that with Ron Guidry, who put in 14 seasons with the Yankees and had his number 49 retired in 2003:

• An ERA of 3.29
• An ERA+ of 119, including 208 in 1978
• A FIP of 3.27
• A WHIP of 1.18
• A 2.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio
• 1778 strikeouts
• A Cy Young Award in 1978, second and third-place finishes in 1985 and 1979

There is not all that much difference between the two southpaws. Yes, the Louisiana Lightning had a much greater winning percentage (.651 vs. .505) and twice as many rings, but KDBO regulars know how much value NaOH and I place in those factors.

Frankly, were it not for Tom Seaver and his amazin' 1969 performance, the Appleton, Minnesota native might have become the face of the young franchise.

If Ron Guidry's numbers were good enough to secure immortality alongside the Babe, Iron Horse, and the Mick, then there is no excuse for the Mets to deny Koosman his rightful place on Citi Field's left field wall.

It's That Time of Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Colorado – November 12, 2009 – In accordance with Article XX B (2) of the KDBI-KDBO Collective Bargaining Agreement, NaOH today filed for free agency. NaOH is coming off an impressive MVP-caliber campaign. Among his many 2009 accomplishments, he helped launch the Ken Davidoff Baseball Outsider site and performed humanitarian work scaling oppressive pay walls.

NaOH entered the season determined to keep his impending free agency from becoming a distraction. "It's a long season, and lots can happen between now and the winter," he said back in February when he reported to camp. "I just want to have a good year, do some quality Photoshop work, keep my comments in check, and focus on fundamentals – grammar, spelling, clarity, reasonable analysis, and some occasional humor. I know my detractors think I can't take my eyes off a spreadsheet to watch a game, but I don't need to prove anything to them. If I play my game and stay healthy, good things will happen."

His final numbers show he was able to do that and more. NaOH brought in nearly half of all KDBO page views by securing a link at the esteemed Uni Watch blog. As further testament to NaOH's strong season, he posted 67% of all the entries ever published at KDBO while also handling the site's graphics and design responsibilities. Elsewhere, NaOH tied for seventh place in the Ken Davidoff's Baseball Insider preseason predictions contest, and won four giveaway contests at KDBI, garnering himself three books and a DVD set.

At the just-concluded blogger meetings held at the Dallas Intercontinental Hotel, the native of New York City was nowhere to be found. His representative, Arthur Goldberg, made the rounds and took every opportunity to speak with media members about his client's unique combination of talents.

"NaOH is not just a great blogger. We're talking about an online and offline presence, one that's never before had to be assigned a value," said the Chicago-based agent. "We live today in a saturated blogging market where the lowest common denominator is all too prevalent. But the cream always rises to top, and in this case we're talking about someone who is more like an artist, one who is sure to bring sites to new levels of traffic through differentiation and online charisma. Only NaOH can deliver that."

"It's not just the dedication he has. It's not just his ability to post. Or his handle on the technical side of things. Or even his grasp of HTML. Or his dexterity with Photoshop. It's all of those things in one complete package. If this were baseball we'd be talking about a five-tool player about to enter his prime. Premium talent like NaOH comes along maybe once a decade," said Goldberg.

"This is like Fake Steve Jobs meets Huffington Post 2.0. Until Oprah abandons television for the Internet, there's NaOH on one level, and everyone else fighting for position beneath him. Really, it's that simple."

"Any blog that wants to be competitive for years to come would be foolish not to seek his services. This isn't just about ad revenues and site traffic data. My client will bring his next employer brand equity that will extend well beyond the term of the contract and pay for itself many times over."

Pressed for reasons why NaOH would seek to blog elsewhere, Mr. Goldberg remained steadfast in defense of his client. "Look, he's earned this right. He would be a fool not to see what's out there. Yes, he is open to returning to KDBO. JE had nothing to do with this decision. Their relationship is fine. How bad could it be? They've never even met."

A spokesman for JE had no comment. Throughout the year, however, there have been numerous rumors of how JE might proceed should NaOH sign elsewhere. Among them are a contest to determine the next blog author, a Missed Connections posting on Craigslist, and the industry-wide belief that JE would prefer to blog solo while focusing less on Ken Davidoff and more on the New York Mets.

Reached at his home in Colorado, NaOH was brief in his comments. "It's been a great year. I just want to settle down, spend some time with the kids, and after the holiday start talking with my family abut where we want to be. My kids are getting older, and I feel like I've missed a lot of important time as they've grown up. My next blogging assignment could be my last, so I want to choose carefully what's best for me, my career, and my family."

"JE and I have had a great run together. Maybe we can go even further. But I've payed my dues to get this opportunity, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's out there. I realize the grass isn't always greener. But this isn't about the money. I just want to go to a site where I feel I'm being respected."

In addition to his work at KDBI and KDBO, NaOH also had a 2009 guest post at Squawking Baseball and contributed graphic design work to It's About The Money and Vote For Manny.

END

"Alright, give me a Hamm on 5, hold the Mayo."

Godspeed to Captain Oveur.

"It's The Economy, Stupid"

As promised in his afternoon post (and Twitter), Ken was on WFAN with Adam The Bull this evening. Unlike some sites, The Fan doesn't have a pay wall, so we've got the goods.

In semi-related news, KDBO sources are still investigating the mystery of the left side of Ken's face. An insider source suggests we're chasing rainbows, that it's just a case of bad TV choreographic guidance.

We're not buying it. If it were that simple, why wasn't Ken on Fox 5 Sports Extra after Game 6? And notice Ken is now making radio appearances, a format which prevents us from seeing his face. Sounds to us like whatever is wrong with the right side of Ken's face has spread to the left side.

Anyway, radio or TV, we've got the Davidoff goods. Topics are predictable considering where we are on the baseball calendar: the Yankees this year and next, the World Series, and the upcoming Hot Stove.

Predictable, however, does not mean boring. Check it out.

Congratulations Yankees

Congratulations to the New York Yankees. 114-63 is mighty impressive. It made for an impressive regular season and a great playoff run.

If you're a fan of the team, please keep reading.

Things You Shouldn't Do

No use of "we, "us," "my," or "our." You had nothing to do with it. Don't understand? Simple, you don't say something like, "We showed the Phillies the AL rules." No. They won. The Yankees. You're not one of them. You're just a fan.

Avoid saying anything which includes the words, "The Core Four." It demeans the fact that this is a team game, and it's a made-up idea that gets about 75% of its acceptance from the fact that it rhymes.

The team you wanted to win did so. You got what you wanted. So just shrug when people complain about the team's payroll. Don't defend management, don't point out how the team pays extra for that high payroll. Don't even mention that what the team does is all within the rules. Just shrug.

Don't mention the team's 27 championships. The other 26 are irrelevant.

Things to Remember

The team had a great year. It means nothing next year. Once Spring Training rolls around, your time to gloat has ended. If you want to bring this accomplishment up when the Yankees face the Red Sox (or any other team), you're just being a jerk. You're choice.

Jeter is a great player. This championship doesn't change that. He's no better or worse than he was before.

The same is true for Alex Rodriguez.

And if you ever bitched about Alex Rodriguez in past playoff appearances for the Yankees without first mentioning how poorly those Yankee teams pitched, then don't mention his great postseason this year. You're likely fickle, have a limited understanding of baseball, and there's a good chance you're a sanctimonious hypocrite.

When the team makes an offseason move, don't say it means another championship is certain in 2010.

Remember this moment next year if the team is playing poorly. Before you complain next May about Eiland, Girardi, Long or some player – and many of you questioned the credibility of lots of these people at times this season – remember what they contributed and accomplished in 2009. Then, before you open your mouth or type a comment somewhere, be prepared to fully explain what changed from now until then.

Things like grit and determination had nothing to do with the Yankees' championship. The Yankees played well, they played hard, and were generally injury free this year. They outplayed their opponents in the playoffs, plain and simple. It's not that they wanted it more, they just played better.

Things You May Do

Gloat about the fact that you won home games without fans who waved towels, relied on thundersticks, or hoped to see a rally monkey.

Cherish this season. Despite all the money the team spends and how well operated the franchise is, it may be a while before the team wins another World Series. Enjoy this one.

Enjoy the offseason. You get the shortest and happiest one of all fans.